The EA82T HATE wall

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:37 pm

I sort of like the unusual two belt design and how it needs to be set up.

Surely the best part of having an EJ is going whole hog and fitting AWD for milder applications

Someone like SUB 4 in New Zealand perhaps but they prolly still do the EA81 heads and intakes for skyborne stuff. They did use the gear for their dark blue Brumby, but stuff is not cheap at all when compared to EJ hacks. But it is all new engineered stuff - roller rockers rocker covers in alloy drool drool....

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:25 am

I got that photo from the USMB and i now that i have thought about it, i think in the 80's, FHI had a link with Washington University and they were helping with development projects. There was also trials of an EA81 diesel, that had development ties with the early VW diesel engines.

I'll do a search and see if i can find it.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 8:07 am

Those heads look more Italian the more I look at them....

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:46 pm

I was introduced to subaru with this engine in my 90 wagon. Quick enough for my needs, mainly road driving. I melted this engine and learned that the heads were in many peoples opinion sub standard. Learned that the cooling systems were weak, yet when I killed my motor it was due to the lower turbo hose failing,catastrophic water loss. But I was driving around with components maybe as old as 19-20 years, not sure as i bought it used. Would the ea82t be a good candidate to fully rebuild along with cooling system renewal and upgrades? I'm putting an ej22 in my wagon, couldnt pass on the donor car price, but it has no motor and a failed 4eat.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 2:55 pm

You are going to get qualified opinions from those saying EA and EJ. Ultimately you make decision and wear it.

Another thing I have not mentioned with EA82T is the turbo. If you have an original they are twenty years old at least as can the metal and rubber water hoses attached.

Looks like EJ cars are getting cheap to buy as a wreck to donate. You will never go looking for a spare dizzy for your EJ , unless your market got the dizzy style EJ in first place. I like EA series, they have one coil to renew, still new from Japan 1986 model turbo !

I'm sort of sitting on the fence. I recall before I got my GLTM, I had regard for the 82 but experience and like of basic old EA81. Having gone through hassles with EA81 head studs not coming out I had to pull another block from my stash to rebore it instead, depleting my stocks. I now collect EA82 bits and thinking one will end up in my Brumby if I can get my act together further.

Maybe one day I will chance upon a cheap EJ AWD and play with that, gaining a new appreciation, again.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 4:23 pm

El_Freddo wrote:My choice for the EJ upgrade? Reason being there's no turbo, but still provided (or expected to) enough of a power and torque increase to make me I was going from a crappy EA82 carbie.

^ As previously stated, followed by this:

El_Freddo wrote:And that is the reason why I went the EJ for my setup. Power/torque upgrade for my L while using "factory engineering"...

Should explain why you came up with this below in this thread about the EA82T:

Subaman wrote:There is no realistic power/torque upgrade going from an EA82T to an EJ22.

For MY application there was a very real realistic power/torque upgrade, and I'd recommend it to anyone with an NA EA82!

Subaman wrote:....and maybe Henry Ford should have just skipped all the crap and gone straight for a twin overhead cammed 16v fuel injected model T......what was he thinking....... its called development guys, the EJ wouldnt be what it is today without the EA motors!

Ok, I think that's a little overboard. I still believe that a better head design was available for the EA82 and that Over Head Cam was the mid 80's catch phrase that every car maker had to have, resulting in a rushed head design. Sure it did the job, but its pain-staking to work on when you have to do the heads.

steptoe wrote:Today I took the old GLTA ( I guess I should change that now its a manual) scratch that, the GLTM out for a rip along some highway, some country lanes and some narrow steep winding dirt roads. Never driven this on this trip before so comparing it to the EA81 twin carb 16/56 cam Brumby on LPG. The old EA82T did well up and along uphill runs where the old Brumby used to flag out a bit at 110kph (coz it preferred 135 actually

Does the comparison of the modded EA81 to the EA82T need another thread? This is the same sort of comparison you started this thread with... I think its a little hypocritical!

Outback bloke wrote:EA82 NA motors should all be removed and melted down to make pistons or some thing for EJ's. Fitting a slowly dying EJ22 to an NA EA powered car is a viable option.

Hear hear! I do agree with your opinion of an NA going into an RX turbo shell - its a little odd and personally think the EJ turbo would be the way to go, similar to what Andrew T did with his. In Checker's case I guess it was an opportunistic moment that became available.

I'm not sure what got this thread going to begin with - only steptoe could shed some light on that. I reckon it may have came from those who have a bog standard subi that are looking for a power upgrade through an EA82T who are then advised that an EJ would be a better way to go for reasons as Outback Bloke said - newer motor, easier to get parts for etc.

I'll leave off here for now.

Cheers

Bennie

Subaman · Post by **Subaman** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 4:54 pm

For MY application there was a very real realistic power/torque upgrade, and I'd recommend it to anyone with an NA EA82!

I total agree, but thats a little of the subject - EA82T`s

Ok, I think that's a little overboard. I still believe that a better head design was available for the EA82 and that Over Head Cam was the mid 80's catch phrase that every car maker had to have, resulting in a rushed head design.

This is bassed on assumptions.

Sure it did the job, but its pain-staking to work on when you have to do the heads.

LOL, Toughen up sunshine, they are a very easy to motor to work on.

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:59 pm

Whats up with the spider manifold on some ea82t's? What are the benefits etc as the importer I visited had one of these maybe "low k" engines. Is this a good thing to be persued?
Thanks, Mark

sven '2' · Post by **sven '2'** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:11 pm

T'subaru wrote:Whats up with the spider manifold on some ea82t's? What are the benefits etc as the importer I visited had one of these maybe "low k" engines. Is this a good thing to be persued?
Thanks, Mark

Spider Manifolds rock - easiest increase in power save exhaust and induction mods. Best put on a motor you have a (good) relationship with.

Not sure about low k motors 16 years (or so) since the EA82T went out of production though...

Sven

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:21 pm

sven '2' wrote:Spider Manifolds rock - easiest increase in power save exhaust and induction mods. Best put on a motor you have a (good) relationship with.

Not sure about low k motors 16 years (or so) since the EA82T went out of production though...

Sven

Interesting.......yea, even the importer said they are probably at least 100 K mile motors due to their age. Changing over involves donor parts then if you have a standard ea82t?
Thanks, Mark

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:36 pm

Ask Disco that one - he has done it, and as 'Sven' says you need a good relationship with the motor. There was TB hook up issues using original TB, so Adrian grafted TB with its TPS to match his ECU.

Why did I start this thread? When I bought my first turbo component on ebay, the exhaust cross over pipe, I was alerted to it on ebay by an Andrew, an Andrew sold it with a wish of good luck to the grenade motor. Then AndrewT recently sounded like he hated the old EA82T - turns out he has not owned one but had a mate who did - so he is qualified to comment (probably seen the persistent determinatin we have with these things). I initially wanted to turbo my EA81 twin carb with this pipe after losing puff at legal speed limits on the very road I went on the other day - which is how I arrived at the sometimes Pisces comparison. Never took my EA82 carb touring wagon along this same road and not fair to compare my old Ford that used to rocket along same stretch at death defying pace with these less than juice carton size motors.

There really seemed to be a hatred for the old EA82T, so like the old chewy wall I stuck the post/thread up to see what happens. Gees , I appreciate the newest of engineering, blending old with new and those who do it themselves either as a Macguyver just to get themselves outta trouble, or into it. I have a certain respect for a twenty year old car, its design, its ECU, even its painful cam box seal cleaning task. Also appreciate the now aging EJ design everytime I see it in bits.

Didn;'t expect so many flare ups - even brought 'Sven' out of the woodwork !!

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:42 am

haha, I like this thread, especially when people get down and speak their minds. My experience was putting the "time bomb" thing in my mind what with cracked heads from the factory production line and such, but I like the motors, and I'll be playing around with the one in the 86 a bit this weekend too.
Btw.. same wrecker had an xt next to the legacy with a spider, I checked it out when guys were looking for disc brake parts but it was a 4 lug, dont remember seeing it yesterday, maybe.........nah, the little lady will kill me!

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:14 pm

They will be 4 stud

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:36 pm

steptoe wrote:They will be 4 stud

uh...xt and xt6 same car?:???:

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:02 pm

XT6 was the 6 cylinder version of the XT.

It had a 2.7L flat 6 (ER27) that was basically a EA82 with 2 extra cylinders. They also had a 5x100 stud pattern and an electronic power steering system

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:12 pm

Suparoo wrote:XT6 was the 6 cylinder version of the XT.

It had a 2.7L flat 6 (ER27) that was basically a EA82 with 2 extra cylinders. They also had a 5x100 stud pattern and an electronic power steering system

Thanks,
It was an xt. I'll have to check it out tomorrow.
Mark

sven '2' · Post by **sven '2'** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:54 pm

steptoe wrote:Ask Disco that one - he has done it, and as 'Sven' says you need a good relationship with the motor. There was TB hook up issues using original TB, so Adrian grafted TB with its TPS to match his ECU.

Didn;'t expect so many flare ups - even brought 'Sven' out of the woodwork !!

Ha Ha Ha ...thanks mate - your post gave me a chuckle, almost brought a tear to my eye - but was 'hayfever' coz aussie blokes don't cry.

My 'hate' for the EA82T is only I no longer own one...look at my avatar (stolen by smacktards in 07). For all the haters, wind the clock back to to late 80s...what was around that was anywhere near the RX/EA82T? (Mazda aside)

Now to own one thinking this is going to be a easy relationship 20 years on is, well, simply delusional. They do take a spanner on them fairly regularly; and (intellectually) there are much better options for upgrades from either a blown EA82T or the NA (ie EJ series), but for those accept the EA82T for the motor it was in its' time it was was a great engine.

Throw some spider manifold goodness the EA82T's way, sort the TPS and TB issues and life will will good...if you remember it is an old design; with flaws; but served Subaru pretty well entering the WRC...

Respect to those who keep at the EA82Ts and thanks for the thread

Sven

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:01 pm

Sort of itching to try my spider (coz they look WOW), but it goes against LPG manifold design rules, the less air / vapour space between demand and supply the more responsive. Keping it for posible vapour injection if it comes my way - cheap

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:29 am

Subaman wrote:I total agree, but thats a little of the subject - EA82T`s

True, but I don't have any EA82T experience and I haven't heard of many EA82T to NA EJ22 conversions either. Except Checker's one recently. Which is why I think this topic should have been more about the NA EA82 to NA EJ22 or the EA82T to EJ20G etc.

Subaman wrote:Toughen up sunshine

Already have - the EJ's in and running well

Subaman wrote:they are a very easy to motor to work on.

From my experience so far, all subaru motors have been. I had issues with weak threads in the block and the heads on the EA82, oil leaks usually occured after the first oil change (same stuff) from the cambox/head seal - no matter what I tried. I HATE a leaky motor!

I get the feeling that this thread has two sides - the I've had an EA82T (and love it), and the I've converted to EJ (love it and wonder what I was doing with the EA82 - spending money on it is what I mean... [not necessarily from an EA82T]).

The best bit is the return in fuel economy - I'm very happy with the 10.8L/100km I'm getting on average.

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:00 pm

Let not this be any sort of slanging match. I thought that as the EJ22 was a consideration for me but had similar figures in torque on paper they were a reasonable comparo assignment. The EA82T and EJ20G ain't no comparison - EJ win hands down all around

I too HATE (where'd ya get italics from?) oil leaks anywhere especaially after I thought I'd fixed them and I have got them from MYEA82T but think it is the back PCV hose

I was also getting same sort of fuel consumption fromn the EA82T on petrol, 11.5 on LPG - currently 12.3 on not so tight motor.

really would be proud to show off an EJ in my Brumby if it was my own work (with a little help from me cybermates in here) the opportunity rose for EA82T first and I jumped in DEEP after I too used to not like EA82's too much - they had timing belts!